Friday, July 24, 2020, Issue 158: What is on your needles?

• Posted on 24 July 2020
• By Susan Wong-Tsang
• Posted in July 2020, KAL, knit-along, make-along, summer knitting
• 0

Are you loving the summer so far despite this new normal? I admit to spending most of my days knitting especially since we have been staying home and have no plans to travel!

There are numerous knit-alongs and make-alongs that are available for us to join and the ones I have joined have been fun to follow!

Heidi finished the V-Back Tee by Jamie Hoffman that I talked about in my July 10th blog! She used five colours for hers and although I didn't get a photo of it that way, Heidi says that she likes to wear the V in the front best! Both Jen and I are working on this one too...anyone else want to join us? The pattern is written to accommodate five, four or three colors, or the entire tee can be knit in a single color.

Sarah Schira has a new Mystery Gnome Knit-along that starts August 6th! This will the first one that I have joined but Sandi has done most if not all and Linda is not far behind! Join in and knit yours with yarn stash or order a Summer Gnome MKAL Kit from Ancient Arts Yarn in Passion 8. I will take pre-orders only for the kits until Wednesday, July 29th so that I can place my order and have the kits in time for you to pick up before the MKAL starts.

There aren't any rules about coming late to the party! You can join in at any time during the MKAL and still have plenty of time to finish your very own Gnicki Gnome! The first clue will drop on August 6th, and the KAL lasts until August 31st.

Each Gnome Kit includes: Four mini-skeins skeins of Passion 8 (fingering weight yarn), 20 g each. Cost is $28 per kit.

Seaside Gnome: Creme de la Creme, Whales in the Water, Lapis Lazuli, and Mossy Bank

Floral Gnome: Little Wild Things, House Orchid, Beguilement, and Amethyst

Roaming Gnome: Pieces of Eight, Fireworks, Red Light Sabre, and Cerulean

Fireside Gnome: Creme de la Creme, Stash Me, Famous Five, and Syrah by Moonlight

Rita (ritz) test knit Barbara Nalewko’s Grass and Flowers Shawl! The pattern is available for 20% off until July 26th with the code FLOWERS20.

The Grass and Flowers shawl is a bottom up shawl, which means cast on starting with the bottom border. The stitches are then decreased until 1 stitch is left on your needle. It is designed of two sections with two different sets of decreases each. Two sizes are inclluded in the pattern. Size 1 requires a skein either 400 yds / 366 m or 437 yds (400 m) with just extra 6 g of contrast colour. Size 2 requires  a skein with a minimum of 464 yards (425 m). You can also use a skein with a minimum of 437 yds (400 m), but to be safe, use a Contrast Colour also in Row 1 and 2 (approx 15-20 g will be needed). The shawl will be bigger and more yarn will be used from your one skein.

Gauge is 22 sts x 30 rows = 4 inch / 10 cm Stockinette Stitch with 3.5 mm (US 4) needles or as required to get gauge. The gauge isn’t crucial for this shawl but the size and the needed yardage might be affected by it.

Knit this shawl using any fingering weight such as Malabrigo Sock or Manos Alegria.

Rhoswen by Jane Vanselous is free for a limited time on Ravelry from Expression Fiber Arts website. This shawl is completely reversible. Two simple stitch patterns are used which are both worked identically on the odd and even rows. An advanced beginner that can maintain consistent tension in knits and purls, who is also willing to try a “yarn over, purl 2 together” simple lace pattern, could easily complete this shawl.

The sample shawl was knit using two lace weight yarns held double. The design would work just as well, although with a completely different effect, in 2 dark colored yarns. You may also use an alternate weight yarn. However, you will need to experiment with different needle sizes than what is called for, in order to produce a fabric that you are happy with.

Knit this using Rico Design Creative Melange Lace, Shibui Lunar, Malabrigo Baby Silkpaca Lace or The Fibre Company Meadow.

Willa by This.Bird.Knits is a top knit from the top down with a simple lace motif around the yoke. Short rows are worked across the back for slight shaping. After the yoke is knit, sleeve stitches are put on hold to be picked up and finished with a simple garter stripe edge.

Gauge is 18 stitches x 23 rows in stockinette stitch = 4 x 4 inches with 5.0 mm (US 8) needles or as required to get gauge. 4.5 mm (US 7) needles are used for the ribbing.

Rowan Kidsilk Haze Fade Packs are available by Drop Ship. These will not be available except by Drop Ship so let me know if you are interested. The cost is $113 CAD pluse  flat rate shipping charge of $8.95 for all Canadian orders.

The original Kidsilk Haze Fade Packs sold quickly! These four new colourways do not come with the original cardboard package. Each kit comes with 6 balls of Kidsilk Haze and a free pattern to make the scarf above.

WIP's and FO's

I finished my Soundtrack by Marie Greene for the Olive Knits 4 Day KAL! Yarn is Stolen Stitches Nua Worsted.

The yoke motif does not have any floats in it since it is not not knit using a fairisle technique but uses slip stitches instead!

I knit mine shorter in the body and arms to fit me. My gauge is bigger so I knit one size down to get my size.

I swatched on Tuesday and cast on my V-Back Tee by Jamie Hoffman on Wednesday! Yarn is Ancient Arts Socknado.

I now have 423 stitches on my needles with no more increases! I don't separate the body and the sleeves until the centre front is 8 inches from the cast on edge. My colour transitions, however, I will start when I am about 5 inches from the ribbing. I am using The Bee's Knees (second colour), Turner-Venice from the Porch (first colour) and Garden Gnomes and Pink Flamingos (third colour).

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

The current Knit-Alongs are the Any Sweater / Shawl KAL and the Knit Your Project: the everlasting knit-along to encourage and support you to knit is running from July 1 to September 30, 2020. Post you finished projects to the Sue2Knits and Yarn Ravelry Group to the Finished Objects thread or to Instagram using the hashtag #sue2knitskal to be included in the next quarterly draw.

Carrie (CarrieEllis) knit Wild at Heart by Meghan Macko using yarn in a colourway called Candy Starburst!

Angela finished this lovely Alla Prima Shawl by Susanna IC using ZenYarnGarden Serenity 20.

Liz (@su11ysmom) knit this cozy blanket for a future fundraiser raffle. Pattern is Caron Lace Panel Throw by Yarnspirations.

These are Sandi (sandima)’s Puff the Magic Dragonfly Socks that she test knit for Julie Stone.

Karen (kmae64) finished knitting a second Ranunculus by Midori Hirose! This summer Ranunculus she knit using Lichen and Lace 80/20 Sock in Faded Rose.

Angela (nobackpain) knit Cullum by Isabell Kraemer using less than two skeins of Bergere de France Bigarelle, a linen and organic cotton yarn with its little flecks of colour scattered here and there.

Linda finished Silver White Winters by Mary Annarella - a gorgeous, textured knit!

Sonia (@soniabknits) finished her beautiful Cornwallis by Martin Storey using Rowan Summerlite DK!

The pattern is available as an individual Ravelry pattern but can also be found in the Rowan Summerlite DK Collection.

Ann (annvanwagner)’s Flax by tincanknits is her first top down sweater!

These are not quite finished yet! Nadine has been finishing her WIPs for the fall!

VIRTUAL SOCIAL KNITTING

Virtual social knitting using the Zoom app! It has been a great way to knit together through social distancing! Join in with us either Tuesday afternoon from 2 - 4 pm or Thursday nights from 7 - 9 pm. We are continuing to hold our Zoom meetings each week until we can meet again in person. Clicking on the link will take you to our Zoom meeting.

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
 
Meeting ID: 407820804

Happy Friday. Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting! Keep calm and keep on knitting and making!

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